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Among celebrations

The year is coming to an end and it is about time to review 2008 from the beer point of view. Well, you will have to wait for that because this post is the tradional one dedicated to the beer of the month.

In December all the Christmas specials came out to the field, some very good, others not so. Among the former there are a few worth a special mention: Chýně Světlý Svateční 14° that paired wonderfully with the traditional Christmas carp and potatoe salad. U Medvídku 1466 that showed up quite surprisely, it was already very nice a week before the festivities, but its creator told me that I should drop by after New Year and tate it from the barrel he's been saving. Harrach Vanoční, somewhat similar to that one from the same brewery I had bottled, but a bit darker and with more expressive flavours. Among the industrial beers the ones I liked the most were Opat 17%, with its intriguing spicy notes, despite not having any spices in its recipe, and Janáček 14%, with a very good balance between caramel and hops.

But not everything was Christmas beers. Two Tokajs showed up, one from Kocour and the other one from Pivovarský Dům. These beers might not be to everyone's taste, but I found them terribly interesting.

And it is from among the non seasonal beers that I picked this month's two winners. On the one side, Kocour AIPA. I loved this beer! Very bitter, very dry, but not to the point of being extreme, and with that mild fruit note that balances it very, very well. On the other side, Pardubický Porterat room temperature. I've been drinking a lot of it these days and took bottles with me to meetings we had with friends. It was a big success. I was quite surprised the acceptance it had among people who only drink Pilsner Urquell or Gambrinus at best.